105 



and as the characteristic modifications chiefly affect the fore feet, for 

 the present, at least, they are retained in the same family. The 

 fomilies adopted then are the same as ' those recognized by Professor 

 Mivart. The points in which the present arrangement diifers from his 

 will be obvious on comparison thereof with his scheme reproduced in 

 the historical resume. It need only be remarked that external form 

 and peculiarities appear to be almost valueless as expressions of affinity, 

 except within a very narrow range. The external features are not co- 

 ordinated with others ; and, inasmuch as sound scientific principles dic- 

 tate a classification based on the consideration of the entire economy, 

 arrangements like those prevalent in the early days of zoology, and those 

 recently published by Dr. Fitzinger, cannot but be considered, in the 

 present state of our knowledge, as in a high degree scientifically un- 

 sound. The progress toward a scientific classification of the Insec- 

 tivores has been chiefly effected by the offcast of the natural prejudice 

 in favor of external characters for taxonomic use ; but the lingering of 

 such prejudice appears to be still manifested to some extent by the con- 

 tinued approximation, in one case, of the JErinaceidw and Centetidce, 

 and, in another, of the ChrysocliloridcG and Talpidw : the sole title to ap- 

 proximation of the first pair seems to reside in the fact that represent- 

 atives of each have spines; and, in the other instance, that some mem- 

 bers of one group [Talpince) resemble the other in the cylindrical form 

 and adaptation for subterraneous life; the characters, although having 

 a certain suggestive value, are so completely gainsaid by the tout 

 ensemble of the organization as to be of no value as taxonomic denom- 

 inators. It remains yet to be learned, however, what significance the 

 spinous armature may have in reference to the primitive characters 

 and genetic relations of insectivorous forms; but, from present indica- 

 tions, it appears to be very illusive. 



The successive degrees of relationship of the severally diverging 

 forms of the order may be expressed in a tabular form, or " genealogical 

 tree :" 



o 



o 







13 





The evidence is not sufficient to enable an exact determination to be 

 made of the form which is most generalized; but inasmuch as the mon- 



